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Hi Frank,

The triplets of the Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo are pretty good - nippy and reliable. The last generation Suzuki Alto is also a good option. If you need something a bit larger, track down a Toyota Yaris 1.0.

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Hi Patrick,

Well, the Passat is definitely better value - and it's only a little less spacious than the Audi. But you are trying to compare two quite different cars - one a regular family car, one a premium executive model. It depends on what you want more; value for money or something more prestigious and luxurious. Both are excellent cars though - reliable and nice to drive. 

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Hi Briege,

OK, couple of things to deal with here.  No, your repayments won't change as your car ages - the repayments on a PCP deal are fixed from the start and run for the life of package.

Actually, if you get a bank loan, you own the car from day one because you're paying cash (or cheque I guess) up front - you just have to keep paying the bank back the money and, when you come to sell the car, the entire second hand value is yours. 

That's the point of a PCP really - it insulates you from unpredictable depreciation because you know what the value of the car will be at the end of the agreement and the leaving of the bubble payment to the end reduces the cost of the monthly repayments. 

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Hi Oonagh,

Not many; you really need to be looking at MPVs such as the Volkswagen Touran and Toyota Verso, or the Ford S-Max or SEAT Alhmabra if you fancy something bigger. That said, the recently introduced Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are just about wide enough, but it depends on what seats you're using. Also, larger seven-seat 4x4s such as the Volvo XC90 and Land Rover Discovery will take three-abreast, but they're expensive to buy.

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Hi Amrinder,

There was a recall for 2.2-litre Mazda6 diesels to replace a stretching timing chain, so check to see if that work has been carried out and don't buy a car that hasn't had the work done. Any car with a full (and preferably Mazda main dealer) service history should be fine though.

However, the DPF issue is down to your driving - if you're not putting in the miles, the DPF can't get hot enough to clean itself out and that's when you get problems, so don't go for one of these cars (or any diesel, really) if you're only doing low mileage and short hops.

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Hi Stan,

We've answered that exact question on a few days ago for another reader. Here's the answer.

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Hi Pat,

The flippant answer to this would be 'buy a Tesla...' But they're expensive as hell so maybe not an option. The actual answer is I don't know for sure because I've never tried it in an electric car, but, from my reckoning, assuming you're driving a Leaf with a range of about 160km, you should be able to get from Kilkenny to Cork in one hop, find a charger, top up, and then get to Killarney. The trick will be to stay off the motorways and stick to slower roads.

After Killarney I'm just not sure. Dingle is a long way off and I'm not sure what the charging point situation is along the way.

Best bet is to consult the ESB's charge point map and plan your route around that.

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Hi Brendan,

There is no specific market data for Ireland in this respect. The old rule of thumb still holds true - if you want ultimate reliability, buy a Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Subaru or Mazda. You could probably pretty easily add Kia and Hyundai to that list too now.

The best I can do for you is to point you towards the results of the JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study for the UK market in 2015. An independent research agency, JD Power ranks the various brands surveyed by problems per 100 cars - although it's worth remembering that those problems can range from minor electrical niggles to total engine failure, so you can't read everything into the stats. The last set of figures, ranked from best-performing to worst, were:

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Hi Jim,

There are a number of other potential options you could look at, but seeing as you've been a Corolla driver, I'm guessing you want something that's going to match the Toyota for reliability. So, in that case, have a look at the Honda HR-V or Skoda Yeti. Both are taller than a normal hatch but not so big as a Tucson and both are really well built and reliable.

Relevant reviews:

Hyundai Tucson review

Skoda Yeti review

Honda HR-V review

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Hi Elaine,

I don't think the Fusion is going to be much good to you if you reckon you need an MPV - it's basically a slightly taller Fiesta and not all that roomy. Have a try and see if it'll fit your needs.

As for another Scenic, sad to say they're just not the most reliable things around. Have a look instead for a Toyota Corolla Verso, a Volkswagen Touran, a Kia Carens or a Mazda5. You'll have to look hard to find one within budget but they are out there.